Battle of the Story of The Battle of Seattle, The edited by David Solnit and Rebecca Solnit

With the World Trade Organization in retreat globally, do we remember the seeds of the anti-capitalist movements that blossomed and, in 1999, brought Seattle to a standstill? This collection confronts the challenges of historical memory. David Solnit recounts the story of his consultation with the Battle In Seattle filmmakers and tells how a group of Seattle activists intervened in the Hollywood star-studded docudrama to challenge and change the story. In "How We Organized the Shutdown of the Seattle WTO Meeting," David dispels damaging movement myths by highlighting the organizing, strategy, and dynamics that sparked the retreat of corporate globalization. Rebecca Solnit tells of her battle with the NY Times, challenging their repeated misinformation about the Seattle protests—including her written exchanges with the editors—and reflects on how corporate media's twisting of history impacts our future. The "Come to Seattle: Call to Action," and key articles from the original broadsheet that went around the world to call for the shutdown of the WTO are reprinted—as are documents, artwork, and photos from Seattle '99.